“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera asked, “what do you think of the big battle?”
“Well, I thought it has already been won...” Bindu’s father Percy said.
“Why do you say that?” Bindu asked.
“Why, Bindu,” Percy said, “isn’t that what we are told in the newspapers and on television?”
“How can they say that?” Bindu was puzzled.
“Why,” Percy said, “everyday they tell us that so many kilometres were captured and so many civilians were rescued from the clutches of terrorists...”
“Oh, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “I was thinking of a different big battle...”
“But which battle is bigger than the final battle in the Eelam War?” Percy demanded.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu suggested, “the battle for the western province...”
“Why do you say that the battle for the western province is bigger than the battle in the north?” Percy wanted to know.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu asked, “didn’t you see the number of posters and banners that were on display over the past few weeks? They were much more in number than the posters about the war...”
“Well, there is some truth in that...” Percy conceded.
“And,” Bindu added, “we couldn’t even watch a television programme in peace because the faces of all kinds of people popped up in the middle of the screen...”
“And we did have advertisements of some people kissing babies and other people saying that they were the ‘wedak karana’ type...” Percy recalled.
“So, thaaththa,” Bindu asked, “did we have that kind of campaign for the battle in the north?”
“I suppose not...” Percy agreed.
“Then,” Bindu asked, “in the war, did we have parliamentarians allegedly going around abducting children?
“I don’t think that would have happened there...” Percy observed.
“Then, did we have parliamentarians allegedly shooting and killing members of their former political party?” Bindu queried.
“That may also not have happened there...” Percy declared.
“So,” Bindu explained, “that is why I said that this was the bigger battle of the two battles...”
“In that case,” Percy proposed, “there is another person for whom the western provincial election was a bigger battle...”
“Who is that, thaaththa?” Bindu wanted to know.
“Why, Bindu, it was a big battle for the Green leader also...” Percy declared.
“Why do you say that?” Bindu inquired.
“Why, Bindu,” Percy recalled, “after every provincial election, there is a conspiracy in his party to oust him saying that he is the reason for the party to lose...”
“So, what will he do this time?” Bindu wondered.
“Well,” Percy said, “we will have to wait and see, won’t we?”
“So,” Bindu asked, “you agree that this was the bigger battle of the two, don’t you?”
“No, Bindu,” Percy disagreed, “I still think that the battle in the North is the more important battle for the country...”
“Why do you say that, thaaththa?” Bindu asked.
“Why, Bindu,” Percy pointed out, “just imagine how peaceful and prosperous this country could be if it was not affected by terrorism...”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu argued, “they haven’t even caught Prabhakaran yet and now they are saying that he may get away in a submarine...”
“Well,” Percy said, “that may not be such a bad thing after all...”
“How can you say that?” Bindu was shocked, “I thought half the battle in the north was about capturing Prabhakaran...”
“That may be true,” Percy said, “but letting him go may not be a bad idea...”
“And why is that?” Bindu demanded.
“Why, Bindu,” Percy explained, “they got hold of Karuna, he became a minister and now he has been made a Vice President of the SLFP; just imagine what would happen if they caught Prabhakaran...”
“Then,” Bindu suggested, “they might have to make him the Prime Minister and the President of the SLFP for he is a bigger catch than Karuna...”
Percy didn’t want to argue with that.